Lifetime Original: The Nancy Dubuc Story

By Sophfronia Scott

Photograph: Getty Images

TV executive Nancy Dubuc took the History channel from “must snooze” to “must see” with surprise hits such as Ice Road Truckers. In 2010 she was tapped to do the same for the then-flagging Lifetime Networks​—while continuing to oversee History. Dubuc pumped up Lifetime with what she calls “unapologetic programming,” like Dance Moms. At the same time, she built History’s audience to a record high with Hatfields & McCoys. Then, in September, A&E was added to her programming portfolio. Dubuc gets results by trusting her gut. Her advice: “Women have to give themselves more credit. We learn at a young age to manage and multitask. We’re very comfortable in certain circumstances making decisions and never looking back. We just need to exercise that confidence in other environments.”